


The Lone Soldier

by ChillNinetales



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Awkward Romance, Drama, F/M, Family Issues, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28844418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillNinetales/pseuds/ChillNinetales
Summary: Tuyen spent the first eleven years after her father died helping her mother keep her business afloat. Now, at age twenty-one, she knows she could be doing something better, but she doesn't want to hurt her mom. However, when a familiar young man with a flirtatious attitude comes by her flower stand claiming to be a soldier of the Air Nomads, she finds herself with a dilemma: Which is more important? Her, or her mother? And wait, do Air Nomads even have soldiers?
Relationships: Meelo/Tuyen (Avatar)
Kudos: 8





	The Lone Soldier

Tuyen went about her business with a bit of an extra prep in her step. She almost always did the same thing every day. She’d sell her mother’s flowers, tend to her mother’s garden, shove in a quick meal when she could, sleep maybe six hours, and repeat. And today… Well, that was exactly what she was doing today. But it wasn’t today that she was excited about. It was tomorrow. 

When her mother had started working after her father died, Tuyen hadn’t been sure they’d make it. Perhaps it was because there was a little less food on their plate at the time, or maybe it had simply been because her mother had reminded her how badly they were doing financially at least twenty times a day. So of course, as soon as her mother found stable work through her gardening, she’d clung to it like glue. And since then–which had been when Tuyen was around ten–her mother refused to speak of their father, or really anything for that matter other than flowers, flowers, and more flowers. 

Her mother always wanted to be busy, and that was the reason she gave for refusing to hire staff. But, she would consistently pass out halfway through the work day if Tuyen didn’t insist on helping her, and now, Tuyen had been stuck in that loop for eleven years. She was indefinitely caught between what she wanted to do, and what her mother needed her to do. That is, except for a special day that only occurred once a month; Donation Day. 

Donation Day was the day when Tuyen would sleep in–maybe an hour or so–and then take all of the wilting, unsold flowers to the Lower Ring to give to people who’d never be able to spend the little money they had on things as superficial as flowers. Some of her best memories had been made in the Lower Ring, watching children’s faces light up as they saw a bit of colour in their dark world. As silly and stupid and pathetic as it was, that day was the only thing she had to look forward to. Did that sometimes make her feel like a loser with no life? Yes. Would she let that stop her from being excited about it? Certainly not. And so she was. 

She stood at her metal flower stand, making sure that passerby could see every type of flower from the road and sidewalk. As the day went by, she happily chatted with a few people that she vaguely knew from seeing them many times before. She wished she could be chatting with her mother, but her mother insisted that having two separate stands on opposite sides of the ring would drum up more business. 

After what had somehow felt like an eternity and two seconds simultaneously, Tuyen began closing up shop, the pink light from the setting sun making her flower stand shine. It was then that she looked up to see someone standing on the other side of the street. He had a map in his hands, and he looked incredibly confused. She took a look at his face and instantly recognized him. She wasn’t sure from where, but she was certain of it. She squinted slightly, thinking back. Was he one of those snotty kids from an Upper Ring university? No, he didn’t look quite rich enough. Then again, he also didn’t look anywhere near poor enough to be from the Lower Ring. And she would’ve known him if he were from the Middle Ring like her. 

Looking at her half-taken down stand, she bit her lip. She’d had people steal flowers while she wasn’t looking in the past, but the flowers were pretty much covered. After another moment’s thought, she quickly crossed the street.

“Excuse me,” she called when she was a few feet away. He looked up from his map, showcasing his gentle blue-grey eyes. He looked at Tuyen and blinked sheepishly for a moment before sniffing in sharply and clearing his throat dramatically. 

“Yes?” he asked, obviously deepening his voice. Tuyen raised an eyebrow.

“Um, do you need some help?” she asked. His whole face turned red.

“What? No! I’m totally fine!” he said loudly. Tuyen noticed a few people nearby giving them strange looks. He must have noticed too, because he laughed awkwardly. “I mean uh, what makes you ask that?” Tuyen was silent. Now that she’d heard his voice, she was even more sure she’d met him before, but she still couldn’t quite put her finger on when or where. She noticed his face growing more expectant and quickly pointed at the map still in his hands. 

“You looked like you needed some directions,” she said with an awkward smile. His face went from red to pale in an instant. 

“Oh. Yeah.” There was a moment of silence. “Sorry about that,” he said with an embarrassed smile. She waved the apology away.

“It’s fine. Do I know you from somewhere?” she asked. He re-straightened his posture and winked at her. 

“I don’t think so, but I wouldn’t mind changing that if you’re free for dinner tomorrow,” he said with a sly grin. She giggled. Being a decent-looking girl who worked alone at a flower stand, she’d had guys flirt with her before, but she hadn’t seen someone this bad at it since…

“Oh!” she exclaimed, her giggles stopping as realization dawned on her. “You’re that Air Nomad kid! I met you a while ago, and you said you were on a ‘secret mission’ or something. Is it… Meeko?” She could’ve sworn she saw bitterness flash through his eyes at the words ‘Air Nomad’. Bitterness was an emotion she could recognize quite well thanks to her mother. But, a second later the bitterness was gone and replaced with surprise. 

“You remember that? That was like–” He paused for a second. “–ten years ago!” he exclaimed. Tuyen blushed. She didn’t show it, but she was a bit disheartened.

“Ten years really isn’t that long if you think about it,” she said, her typically enthusiastic voice sounding sour in her ears. It was the same mantra she told herself whenever she thought of all the things people her age normally did that she’d missed out on. 

“Eh,” he said, a bit of bitterness returning to his voice. “Agree to disagree. Oh, and it’s actually Meelo by the way.” Tuyen smiled.

“So, where are you going, Meelo?” she asked. 

“I’m looking for the entrance to the Lower Ring, but I can’t seem to find it on this map or in person. Do you know where it is?” he asked. Tuyen winced, looking left and right to see if anyone was listening before she responded. 

“Yes, I’ll be walking right by it on my way home. I’ll show you,” she whispered quickly. He looked confused at her quiet tone. 

Tuyen walked back to her stand and gestured at Meelo to follow. She quickly finished packing up, converting the stand into a cart by pushing a little lever on the side.

“This way,” she told him, still whispering. 

A minute or two later, when they were out of everyone’s earshot, Meelo spoke up. 

“Why were you whispering back there about the entrance?” he asked. Tuyen had a feeling he’d been waiting to ask something, but she was surprised at what it was.

“The people here don’t really like to talk about the Lower Ring. Or hear about it, or see it, or fraternize with anyone from it,” she said warily. Meelo raised his eyebrows in shock.

“What? Why?” he asked. Tuyen shrugged. 

“It’s just the way it is.” She paused, thinking. “Didn’t they tell you that before you came?” she asked curiously.

“Who?” he asked. Tuyen rolled her eyes and smirked.

“The Air Nomads,” she clarified. Meelo cringed a bit.

“Oh, right. No. The Air Nomads…” He hesitated. “...are really bad at explaining things.” He said, his voice getting quieter. Tuyen chuckled. 

“What?” he asked, smiling. 

“I just wouldn’t expect the Air Nomads of all people to have that issue. Aren’t you guys supposed to be like, perfectly in sync or something?” 

“Ha! I wish,” he responded. 

“So why exactly are you here, Meelo? I know the airbenders bring extra crops to the Lower Ring a few times a year, but they just got the shipment last week. Are you some sort of ambassador?” He scratched his forehead a bit.

“I’m not really an ambassador per say. I’m more of a soldier.” Tuyen was glad he wasn’t an ambassador, since ambassadors usually only came with bad news, but the explanation he gave didn’t sound quite right. She gave him a suspicious glance. 

“I didn’t think the airbenders had soldiers,” she said. Anytime Tuyen went to the Lower Ring, everyone would tell her about the wonderful airbenders and their peaceful society. Their lack of soldiers was a big part of why they were so beloved.

“They don’t have soldiers. They have a soldier. I’m the only one,” he said, wagging his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes and blushed a bit. She supposed it made sense to have someone to watch everyone else’s back just in case.

They walked in silence for a bit longer before Tuyen made a sharp right turn down a dark alley and gestured for Meelo to follow. Soon, they arrived at a small door made of platinum with a security camera or two nearby.

“Well, this is your stop,” she said. He looked at her skeptically.

“This is the main entrance to the Lower Ring?” he asked. Tuyen nodded. “But why is it hidden away back here?” She raised an eyebrow.

“It’s like you’ve never been to Ba Sing Se before,” she said, more of a joke than a remark. He shrugged, unashamed. 

“Not in the last ten years.”

“Well, the law says that only people with special government passes verifying that they make at least a certain amount of money per year can pass through from the Lower Ring to the Middle Ring, and pretty much nobody in the Middle Ring goes to the Lower Ring, so they don’t care to know where the entrance is.”

“You know where the entrance is,” he pointed out. She smirked.

“I classify as nobody,” she said. He smiled at her.

“Somehow, I seriously doubt that,” he told her. She rolled her eyes. 

“Glad I could help you find it. I should get going right about now,” she said, hiding her flushing cheeks. She turned away and grabbed her cart.

“Hey wait!” Meelo called.

“Yes?” Tuyen answered warily, turning around to face him. 

“What’s your name, again? I uh, don’t quite remember from ten years ago.” She giggled.

“It’s Tuyen.” 

“Well Tuyen, you never answered me about dinner tomorrow night,” he commented, giving her finger guns. She sighed.

“Sorry, I can’t. I have to–” She stopped mid-sentence. She was so used to giving the same line to everyone. ‘I can’t. I have to work,’ was practically her catchphrase, but… She didn’t really have to work the next day. Well, she did, but she’d be finished far before dinnertime. 

‘Mom is expecting me home for dinner,’ she thought to herself. But then again, her mother was pretty much always asleep when she got home with dinner, so her mom probably wouldn’t even notice she wasn’t there. A thrill ran through her. She could actually say yes. Tuyen was twenty-one, and she’d never been on a date. She’d thought privately that she probably wouldn’t go on one until she could convince her mom to hire help. But… What if she could, just this once? Obviously it couldn’t go any further than one date, but even that much seemed almost unachievable. And yet…

“You know what? Sure! Where do you want to go?” 

Meelo looked legitimately shocked. It took him a few seconds to respond.

“I um… I’m not sure. I haven’t really eaten anywhere here.” 

“Meet me at the Twisted Turtlegator at six. It’s on Juniper Street,” she said with a smile.

Then, she turned and headed home, suddenly looking forward to Donation Day even more than usual.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading Chapter One of my first fanfiction on this site! Comments and kudos are much appreciated, and make sure to stay tuned for future chapters!
> 
> PS: I expect this fic to be anywhere between three to ten chapters long, and future chapters will probably be a bit longer than this one.


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